For the Love of Pumpkins and Edward Masen
by ladylibre
Summary: COMPLETE! Halloween never meant much to sixth grader Leah Clearwater. Until a knock on her back door changed everything. Will the Great Pumpkin bring her something extra special this year? AH/OOC
1. Parts 1 and 2

**Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Story Summary: Halloween never meant much to sixth grader Leah Clearwater. Until a knock on her back door changed everything. Will the Great Pumpkin bring her something extra special this year? AH/OOC.**

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 **So I had NO INTENTION of starting a new story, especially knowing I have other wips in the hopper. But I heard about the "Twilight Tricks and Treats Contest" and decided to enter a little something.**

 **And...my little fic, "For the Love of Pumpkins and Edward Masen," won a "Secret Keeper's Pic" award! So THANK YOU, luvmi4alwyz, for choosing my story!**

 **I know Edward/Leah is a non-canon pairing, but I'd looooove it if you guys gave it a shot. I think she got a raw deal in canon and wanted to give her a little happiness, and I think you'll like how she finds it here.**

 **PS-These installments were submitted for the contest, but there are two more planned that should be posted, one by one, by the end of November.**

 **Love to you all!**

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 **Halloween, 1985**

"We'll be back around eleven." Mama shrugged on her coat with Daddy's help. "Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself?"

I tried not to roll my eyes, knowing she meant well. "I'll be fine, Mama. It won't be my first time home alone."

"But it's Halloween." She frowned in the general direction of the street. "And you know how rowdy these kids get."

"And they know we give out raisins and dental floss." Daddy winked. "She'll be fine."

"I could ask Jacob to come stay with you." Mama turned away to check her reflection. "He wouldn't mind."

I did roll my eyes that time. "Izzy Swan is having a party, Ma. The last thing Jake wants to do tonight is babysit his little cousin."

She looked at me. "You weren't invited?"

"A sixth grader at a high school party? I don't think so."

"And you're sure you'll be okay here alone?"

"I promise. And if I need anything, I'll get Mrs. Cope from next door."

"You'll keep the front door locked?"

"Yes."

"And not open it to strangers?"

"Yes. I mean, no." I smiled. "No, I won't open it to strangers."

"And you'll sit in one spot with your hands folded neatly in your lap and only take bathroom breaks when absolutely necessary?" Daddy asked.

"Harry!"

"What? We are preparing her for a hostage situation, right?"

Mama shooed Daddy out of the way, pulling me in for a hug. "I love you, Leah."

"I love you too, Mama. Have fun."

"Fat chance of that." Daddy adjusted his hat. "These so-called charity events are just glorified pissing contests."

"Honestly, Harry!" Mama swatted Daddy with her purse. "You need to keep it clean."

"That was the clean version." He winked at me. "Have fun, kiddo."

Once the door closed, I locked it behind me and closed the curtain. The revelry outside increased, but there was no sense in making our home look inviting. We didn't celebrate Halloween, and I refused to run to the door every five minutes for the next two hours to greet the same people who wouldn't give me the time of day tomorrow at school.

Let's see how they liked being ignored.

Turning off the living room light, I went upstairs to finish my homework. I would likely be the only one prepared for tomorrow's geography test, but what else was new? After converting the last set of fractions to decimals, I vacuumed the hallway and emptied the dryer, snagging a fresh set of towels for my shower. Clad in my favorite jammies, I flew downstairs in preparation for the only good thing about Halloween.

The Great Pumpkin.

 _A Charlie Brown Christmas_ is the definitive holiday classic, and the Thanksgiving special reminds me of the time we let Daddy make dinner. But _It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown_ was my favorite Peanuts cartoon of all-time. Something about Linus's faith, the way he holds out hope for something good even if no one else can relate...it speaks to me.

I waited impatiently all year for _The Great Pumpkin_ and felt doubly special when it aired on Halloween night. And getting to watch it on the big TV in the den made me feel like a kid on Christmas…which they were already advertising.

Setting the popcorn popper on the kitchen island, I was on my way to grab the jar of kernels when there was a tentative knock on the back door. The outside rabble had stopped knocking on the front door a half hour ago, but no one ever dared come around back.

I wasn't afraid, but I grabbed the broom from the corner before creeping toward the door. Mrs. Cope was a shout away, and Daddy said I had the lungs of a dramatic soprano. I blew out a steadying breath and leaned against the door.

"Who is it?"

"Edward."

My grip on the broom handle tightened but not from fear. "Edward who?"

"Masen." He cleared his throat. "Edward Masen."

"What are you…what are you doing back there? You could have been anyone and…"

"Could you open the door? I hear your voice but can't understand what you're saying."

I looked around the kitchen, searching for a sign of what to do. Edward Masen, Edward-freakin-Masen was at my back door, and I didn't know whether to pass out or punch him. He was one of Them, that crowd of effortlessly popular kids at my school who made my invisibility that much more painful. He was the worst of all because he just moved in across the street at the end of summer and already had more friends than I had in seven years of school, including kindergarten.

And if that weren't enough, my stupid heart had this habit of beating like crazy whenever he was around.

"Leah?" He knocked again. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah. Just...just hold on!"

I ran up to my room and threw on the first presentable top and bottom I could find. Not even in my wildest dreams would I want Edward to see me in my jammies.

Not even my super-cute ones with the prancing ponies.

I smoothed back my hair and flew back to the door, gripping the handle with a steadying breath. Then I had a thought.

"This isn't a trick, is it?" I asked.

"A what?"

"Like, you aren't trying to get me to open the door so you can squirt me in the face with pickle juice or something, are you?"

He sounded offended. "Why would I do that?"

"I don't know. People do ridiculous things sometimes."

"Like have long conversations through a locked door? Come on, Leah. Let me in."

"Put your hands up first."

"My what?"

"Your hands!" I shouted. "Put them up where I can see them."

I stood on tiptoe and looked through the window, amused by the annoyance on his face.

"Is this good enough?" he asked.

"Higher." He shook his head but did so anyway, and I discovered a new favorite game. "Now jump up and down."

"What?"

"Jump up and down, like really hard. I want to make sure there are no weapons in your pockets."

He dropped his hands. "This is stupid."

"You're knocking on my backdoor on the scariest night of the year asking me to let you in. I'd be stupid not to make you do this."

Edward frowned, muttering something I didn't catch, and I thought I went too far. Then to my great astonishment, he raised his hands above his head. "I'm only doing this once," he groused.

I tried to keep the glee from my voice. "I'll take it."

Rolling his eyes, he jumped high and stomped the ground once, hard enough to dislodge the hood from his head. As he fixed his clothes, I opened the door with a smile. "Was that so hard?"

He wasn't amused. "Do you want me to stand on my head too?"

"That won't be necessary."

He shoved his hands in his pockets with a glare, and though I didn't think it possible, he was more adorable than usual when aggravated.

Definitely something to remember in the future.

"Now." I leaned against the doorjamb. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm locked out, and my dad won't be home for another few hours." He frowned. "Why are you holding a broom?"

"It's part of my witch costume." I set the needless broom to the side. "Where's your house key?"

"In my room. I thought it was in my pocket, but this isn't the hoodie I wore to school today."

No, it wasn't. Today's hoodie was heather gray with a white zipper and a faded oil stain on the left pocket.

Or something.

"So you're locked out. Why did you come here?"

He looked away, rubbing his arm. "Because you're the only one home."

 _I knew ignoring Halloween would pay off one day!_ "When is your dad getting back?"

"Whenever that hospital fundraiser is over. Aren't your parents there too?"

I nodded, trying not to be flattered that he knew. "And I promised them I wouldn't open my door to strangers."

"But I'm not a stranger. I live over there and sit three rows behind you in Mr. Varner's class." He snapped his fingers as if remembering something. "And while I'm here, we can study for that geography test."

"I did that already."

"Of course you did. Forgot who I was talking to." It sounded like a compliment, so I hid my blush as he looked at his watch. "Could you just let me in? I think Halloween is for babies, but Charlie Brown is about to come on, and I…"

"Charlie Brown?"

"You know, Linus and the Great Pumpkin _._ Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because I…" _think I'm going to pass out._ "...forgot that was on tonight."

"Well, it is. And I don't want to miss it. Let me in now, and I'll leave when it's over. Okay?"

I didn't trust myself to speak, so I stepped aside, inviting him in with a sweep of my hand.

"Thanks." He was shivering. "It was getting cold out."

"Where's your jacket? Wait, let me guess. In your room."

"I was only going out for a second. Didn't think I'd need it."

I closed the door behind him, and it sounded like a thunderclap in the silence.

"We can go in the den, if that's cool," I said.

"Yeah, that's cool."

I let him go in first, wanting to make sure this was real. If I were dreaming and I went first, he might turn into a boil-covered behemoth when I turned around. But if I kept my eyes on him, maybe he wouldn't morph into something wild and crazy.

Having this beautiful boy in my house when my parents weren't home was wild and crazy enough. My diary will never believe this!

"Sit wherever you want." I clicked on the television. "I think this is the right channel. And if it's up too loud, the remote is right there."

"Thanks." He unzipped his hoodie. "Where are you going?"

"I, uh…I was about to make some popcorn."

"I'll come too." He tossed the red hoodie onto the sofa, knighting it my new favorite spot in the entire universe. "If that's cool."

"Yeah." I returned his small smile. "That's cool."

Now certain he wouldn't evaporate, I led Edward back to the kitchen. Retrieving the popcorn jar from the pantry, I plugged up the popper and grabbed a measuring cup.

"Nice kitchen." He glanced around at the curtains and dish towels. "Very…homey."

"Thanks." I poured the kernels into the top of the air popper. "Mama likes anything with roses on them."

"Do you? Like roses, I mean."

"No. I mean, I don't know. I'm not really into flowers, so I've never thought about it." I flipped on the popper. "Do you like roses?"

"Nah. I'm a gardenia man myself." I looked at him in confusion, and he laughed. "You should see your face! Like I know what a gardenia is."

"Maybe you do. Nothing wrong with a boy who likes flowers."

"Excuse you. I am a man."

"Right. A man who locked himself out of the house."

Instead of replying, he strolled toward my fridge with his hands behind his back. Ignoring the magnets and take-out menus, he bent to inspect a photo. "Where was this one taken?"

I cringed. "My uncle's wedding."

"And you were a…"

"I was the flower girl."

"Carrying a basket of orange daisies, of course you were." He leaned forward and squinted. "Are those green polka dots?"

I could have died. "Yes."

"On an orange dress?"

"Yes."

"With one…two…three…four…"

"Nine layers of polka-dotted tulle beneath the skirt? Yes."

He glanced at me. "The cape is a nice touch."

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up and get a big bowl from the cabinet above the sink."

He stood on tiptoe to get it, and as his shirt rose in the back, I turned my head. If I got a peek at Edward Masen's Fruit of the Looms, I would pass out.

And have to clean up the popcorn before Mama and Daddy got back.

After I safely corralled the popcorn into the bowl, He carried it to the den while I grabbed napkins and YooHoos. My hands sweated with the notion of sharing a sofa with him, but to my immense relief, Edward copped a squat on the floor. I sat on the other side of the bowl, leaning against the back of the couch.

"Do you need to let your dad know you're here?"

"Nah."

"Won't he be worried when he gets home and you aren't there?"

"Does it matter?"

It did to me, but he was scowling again and not in the adorable way. "I guess not." I stopped short of asking about his mother, instinct steering me away from the subject.

He grabbed a yellow can, popping the top noisily. "What about you? You never did call your parents."

"As long as you don't steal anything, we should be good."

"Guess I should put back that rose-covered potholder." I gaped at him, and he laughed. "You're so easy to annoy."

"Because you're so annoying." The screen faded to black, and I opened my own can. "Now, hush. I've been waiting all year for this."

I felt him smiling beside me. "I thought you forgot this was on."

"I thought I said hush."

As the opening strings to "Linus and Lucy" filled the room, we leaned toward the screen. Before long, Edward was rocking where he sat, his movements in perfect time with the music. I wanted to comment, but the moment was too precious to disturb. So I grabbed a fistful of popcorn and pretended not to notice.

"Every time Lucy stabs that pumpkin, a little part of me dies," I said after a minute. "Poor Linus."

"She's the reason I'm glad to be an only child," he said.

"Me too. Though I think it'd be nice to have a sibling sometimes."

"Would you want a brother?"

"A sister. Boys are nothing but trouble. No offense."

He smirked. "Where's that pickle juice when I need it?"

We fell into an easy silence, amused by the Peanuts gang's shenanigans. Though it wasn't a Christian holiday, I would certainly thank God for Halloween in tonight's prayers.

And for locked doors and forgotten keys.

"Pumpkin?"

"Yes?" My cheeks flamed, and I cleared my throat. "I mean, um, what?"

He didn't appear to hear my first (and stupid) response as he pulled something from his pocket. "You want some pumpkins?"

I stared at the Brach's bag. "Where'd you get those?"

"The pharmacy. That's why I ran out of the house in the wrong hoodie." He opened the bag with his teeth, and I couldn't stop my gaze from dropping to his mouth. "Dad forgot them, and the store was closing soon, but I couldn't watch _The Great Pumpkin_ without my pumpkins."

His cheeks pinked as he spoke, and I realized he was embarrassed. Which was officially the cutest thing I'd ever seen. "Open that drawer next to the couch," I said.

"Huh?"

I pointed to the end table. "The top drawer. Open it."

He pulled on the handle and peeked inside. "Candy corn!"

"The Great Pumpkin leaves it every year. Want some?"

He nodded and put my bag to his mouth. I looked away, afraid I'd turn into a pile of orange goo, and tried to form a sentence. "What, um…what show comes on after this?"

"Some new Garfield cartoon." He took some candy corn and set the bag beside me. "I wasn't going to watch it though."

"Right." I refused to be sad. "Me either."

"But Scooby Doo comes on NBC at 8:30." He had a handful of pumpkins. "Can I stay for that?"

His palm ghosted over mine as he set the candy in my hand, and I think I stopped breathing.

"Yeah. You can stay for that."

"Cool."

And as Edward settled into his spot in my den, my stupid heart hoped he'd want to stay forever.

 *****PUMPKINS*****

 **Halloween, 1987**

"Leah, you look totally awesome!" Kate said.

"I don't know. It's too…"

"Stop." She hugged me from behind. "You're perfect, and we're going to have a ball tonight."

I sighed. "And if we don't?"

"Then we'll come home and stuff our faces with candy until we pass out."

"Girls?" Mama called from downstairs. "It's time to go."

Kate held up a pinky. "Deal?"

I could never say no to her. "Deal."

We suffered through the obligatory pictures—thankfully, Daddy capped Mama at ten—and headed off to the dance. It was being held at school, and my parents let us walk since it was only a few blocks away.

"Do you think Garrett will be there?" Kate asked. "I so hope he'll be there!"

"I don't know." I fidgeted with my hemline. "And these dresses are too short."

Kate slapped my hand. "Duh, that's why we're wearing tights." She looped her arm through mine. "You know, if Garrett is there, then someone else will probably be there too."

My mocha brown face turned red. "I don't know who you mean."

"Oh, come on!" Kate bumped my shoulder. "You're still gonna pretend you don't have a thing for Ace?"

I snorted and turned my head. "I don't know anyone by that name."

"Fine. Edward Anthony Masen, eighth grader extraordinaire." She played with her faux pearl necklace. "Is that better?"

"Anything is better than 'Ace.'" I detested that nickname. "But whatever you call him, I don't have a thing for him. I just…"

"What?"

I hated admitting this aloud. "I just miss him on Halloween, that's all."

"I know." Kate took my hand. "I'm sorry, sweet pea."

"It's cool. Now tell me what Garrett said to you in homeroom yesterday. Start from the moment he sat behind you."

While Kate rehashed every detail of her 90-second conversation with Garrett, I reminded myself once more of where things really stood between Edward and me. No matter how magical that Halloween night was, no matter how many times he smiled or laughed or touched my hand when we reached for popcorn at the same time, it was one night two years ago, and nothing even close to it had happened since.

As it turned out, nothing actually happened then either.

When Scooby Doo went off, Edward remembered his father had hidden a spare key in a faux rock beside the mailbox. He came to his feet, thanked me for the popcorn, and left.

I still had the empty bag of pumpkins in the bottom of my underwear drawer.

He was civil to me at school, even talked to me in the hall sometimes. But we never became close friends or spoke about Halloween again.

I just played the whole thing on a loop every night, wondering if it was a dream.

"We're here!" Kate squealed. Somehow we'd arrived at school, and Kate turned to me with the full wattage of her smile. "Let's go!"

We turned in our tickets and headed inside as Madonna begged her Papa not to preach. As Kate and I entered the gym, my eyes widened to take everything in. There were balloons and streamers everywhere, their black and orange hues broadcasting the occasion. Giant cobwebs covered the basketball hoops at either end of the room, and paper witches, mummies, and goblins were splattered on the wall.

It was awesomely awful and awfully awesome.

"Look!" Kate pulled me toward a table of frosted sugar cookies. "My mom made these!"

"They look just like jack-o-lanterns." I grabbed a handful. "This is why I love your mom."

"And look!" She pointed at the bubbling orange punch in the black cauldron in the center of each table. "Are those floating eyeballs?"

"Eww!" I shivered all over. "So gross."

Kate filled two cups with punch—omitting the eyeballs from mine—and found us a spot on the wall to hold up. Neither of us wanted to dance yet, but we had no problem watching other people. Our science teacher doing the Sprinkler with the school nurse while Principal Volturi did the Cabbage Patch.

And the custodian? We didn't have words for what he was doing.

"I think that's the Worm." Kate tilted her head. "With a little Robot thrown in."

"Whatever it is, he should never do that again."

We spent the first few songs in our chosen spot, whispering silly nothings only the two of us would find funny. Kate was the constant spark in my otherwise quiet life, and I would never stop thanking her mother for opening a bakery in town last year. I was there on opening day and ate half a blueberry pie in one sitting. Kate came over with a bottle of Tropical Tums and became my best friend.

When a new beat dropped, Kate and I gaped at each other, jumping up and down.

"Oh, my gawd!" Kate dragged me toward the floor. "Come on!"

I wasn't the best dancer, but there was no sitting this song out. Daddy bought me this album for my birthday, and Kate and I spent many nights with hairbrushes in hand, serenading my mirror with our whole hearts. We settled in near the outer edge of the dance floor but were close enough to feel like part of the crowd.

Kate laid a hand against her heart and started the first verse:

" _Clock strikes upon the hour, and the sun begins to fade_

 _Still enough time to figure out how to chase my blues away."_

She pointed at me, and I lifted an invisible mike to my mouth.

" _I've done all right up till now._

 _It's the light of day that shows me how._

 _But when the night falls, loneliness calls."_

We belted out the chorus with the crowd, dancing like happy fools.

" _Ohhh, I wanna dance with somebody!_

 _I wanna feel the heat with somebody!_

 _Yeahhhh, I wanna dance with somebody,_

 _With somebody who loves me!"_

I wouldn't admit to thinking about anyone in particular, but a pair of emerald green eyes lingered behind my lids every time I reached the chorus. If Kate's dreamy smile were any indication, she also had a certain cutie on her mind.

So when we turned around to find Edward and Garrett leaning against the wall and watching us, our shock and delight bubbled over.

She grabbed my hands, crushing my poor fingers. "Oh, my gawd, Leah. Oh, my gawd!"

"I know!" Somehow we kept moving, but our minds were gone. "Should we go over there?"

Kate put on her plotting cap, a slow smile brightening her face. "No. Let's get them over here."

"How?"

"Are you listening?" She softened her grip. "All we have to do is keep dancing."

At my confused expression, she picked up the song again:

" _I need a man who'll take a chance_

 _On a love that burns hot enough to last_

 _So when the night falls, my lonely heart calls."_

She gestured with the lyrics, keeping her eyes on me. All of a sudden, everything made sense.

"My girl!" I hugged Kate, squealing in her ear. "You are a genius!"

"I know! Now keep going before the song ends."

Following Whitney's lead, Kate and I danced and mimed our deepest desires in the general direction of Garrett and Edward, neither of us having the heart to see if her plan was working. By the time we reached the last refrain, Kate and I were singing at the top of our lovesick lungs:

" _Don'tcha wanna dance?_

 _Say you wanna dance_

 _Don'tcha wanna dance?_

 _Don'tcha wanna dance?_

 _Say you wanna dance_

 _Don'tcha wanna dance?"_

She twirled me around, and I was so busy laughing, I didn't realize I'd crashed into someone.

Into a green-eyed dreamboat, to be exact.

"Hi!" I was too giddy to be embarrassed. "Do you wanna dance?"

He caught me at the waist, laughing. "Why don't we steady you first?"

"Okay!" I looked over my shoulder and spotted Kate in a similar predicament. "Hi, Garrett!"

He waved at me, and Kate's mouth formed a perfect 'oh' of shock as Garrett took her hands.

In the interim, Whitney's love-fueled anthem had faded into a new tune, and I blushed to my roots as my mind sped ahead to the chorus.

" _Oooh, baby. I think I love you from head to toe."_

The high from my performance with Kate was fading fast, and I scrambled for an excuse to bolt.

Until I realized Edward's hands were still on my waist.

I looked into his eyes, and the whole world could have exploded, and I wouldn't have noticed. He was perfect as ever, and he was here.

With me.

In public.

With his hands.

On me.

I could have died a happy camper right then and there.

"You still want that dance?" he asked.

I would later blame it on that weird punch if necessary, but some mysterious force gave me the courage to lean in. "If you think you can keep up."

He chuckled, though the sound was deeper than normal. "Oh, I'll keep up, Ms. Clearwater. Believe me."

And keep up he did.

For the next six songs, Edward matched me move for move. No matter how silly or off-beat my gyrations, he hung in there, even teaching me some sort of moonwalk-MC Hammer hybrid.

By the time the DJ decided to slow it down, my ponytail was droopy, and I was pretty sure I'd lost ten pounds to sweat. Edward also looked worse for the wear, though his 'worse' beat the average guy's 'best' by a thousand miles.

"I'm about to pass out." He fanned himself. "You wanna get some air?"

"Sounds good. I just need some punch first."

"I'll get it. Wait for me by the stone bench." He paused, looking away. "I mean, if that's cool."

My whole life lit up. "Yeah. That's cool."

He smiled. "Cool."

I floated toward the exit, sparing Kate a hearty thumbs-up where she sat with Garrett in the orange chairs along the wall. I noticed a few girls staring at me in confusion as I passed through the crowd, and I knew why.

And wanted to stick out my tongue at each of them.

Edward spent the entire time with me. Not Jessica with her low-cut, filled-out sweaters or Jane with her short shorts and long legs from here to the moon. Me! If I didn't think anyone would notice, I would stand on the bench and kick up my heels.

This night couldn't have gone better had it been scripted.

Of course, if the night were scripted, some cruel writer might have decided to throw a wrench in the shy-but-sweet protagonist's dream. That might explain the obnoxious clang of the fire alarm and the sound of shrieking teens pouring from the building in every direction.

The commotion startled me back to reality, and I climbed atop the bench to see over the crowd, spotting Principal Volturi and his infamous megaphone.

"This is not a drill!" he shouted. "I repeat: this is not a drill! Everyone line up single-file in your assigned spots! This is not a time for panic! This is a time to perform in real-time what we've been practicing since the…Mr. Newton, what are you doing with that blow torch? Get back here right now!"

Principal Volturi dropped the megaphone to chase Mike around the back of the building, and I used the opportunity and my perch on the bench to look for Edward. The great exodus was still in effect, but I refused to move. He said he'd meet me here, and I believed him. But even after the crowd thinned and only the kids whose parents chaperoned remained, he didn't appear.

I stepped down from the bench as Kate emerged from a side exit. "Leah! Thank God you're still here."

"I'd never leave without you." I forced a smile. "I wonder who pulled the alarm."

"Whoever it was ruined everything! I think Garrett was about to ask me out."

"Oh, my gawd!"

"I know! But when the alarm got pulled, he disappeared." We linked arms and proceeded down the street. "Sooo…what happened with you and Edward? I saw you guys out there looking like well-dressed rejects from Soul Train."

"Ha-ha." She eyed me for more details, and I sighed. "Yeah, he was…great as always. But he got ghost after the fire alarm."

"Same as Garrett." Kate caught my tone and patted my hand. "I'm sure this won't turn out like last time, Sweets."

I was too sad to argue with her, so we walked to my house in melancholy silence. Before my mom could ask why we were home so early, Kate said she had a headache and wanted to go home.

She really was the best friend a girl could have.

We hugged goodbye, and my parents headed out, promising to be back soon. When I heard tires on the gravel driveway, I yanked the neon scrunchie out of my hair and threw it across the room. With any luck, I'd be asleep before my parents got back so I wouldn't have to answer any more questions about tonight.

My second Halloween night with and without Edward Masen.

The loud knock at the front door gave me a fright, and I considered pretending I wasn't home. Then I realized Kate left her overnight bag upstairs and would probably need it this weekend.

"Hold on, Kate." I trudged to the door. "I'll go get your bag and give you back your…"

The words died on my lips when I saw Edward on my front step. When I didn't speak, he shook his head with a smile. "You still like talking through the door, I see." He frowned at my continued silence. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." I blinked back to life, trying to process what was happening. "I, um, I thought you were Kate."

"Nope." He popped the 'p,' rocking on his heels. "You took your hair down."

"I was about to turn in." I hastily combed my fingers through it, hoping it didn't resemble a haystack. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh." He palmed the back of his neck, which was turning red. "When the fire alarm got pulled, I went out the back door to…"

"The back door?"

"Yeah, to the stone benches by the teachers' parking lot."

" _Those_ benches!" I palmed my forehead. "I was out front by the flagpole."

"So that's why I didn't see you! I should have been more specific."

I didn't reply, still trying to believe this was real, and he cleared his throat. "Anyway, I figured you'd come home eventually, and here you are. Which is good because, um, you forgot something at the dance."

"I did?" I looked down at my outfit, seeing nothing amiss. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. But if you want it, you have to close your eyes and hold out your hands."

I raised a brow. "You're not going to squirt me with pickle juice, are you?"

He chuckled, and the sound warmed me from head to toe. "I might, but not tonight. Now close those eyes."

Something in his gentle command made me shiver, and my eyes fluttered shut. I cupped my palms in front of me and soon felt something solid and small in them.

"Ta-da," he said softly.

I opened my eyes to find a tight bundle of candy corn and mini pumpkins in orange cellophane tied with a black bow.

I looked at Edward in delight. "Did you make this?"

"Just in case The Great Pumpkin forgot." He looked away. "It's been two years since we've seen him at the same time, so I didn't know if…"

"You…" I couldn't even form words. "You remember?"

"Of course I remember."

"But you never said or did anything to…" I rolled my eyes, annoyed at myself. "Gawd, Leah. Way to ruin it."

"You didn't ruin anything." He seemed to come closer. "But I hope I haven't either."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, it's been two years. And I haven't exactly been beating down your door. And I don't even have a good reason why not. I just didn't know if I…"

My hand seemed to shoot out on its own, wanting to reassure him. The contact startled us both, and the heat from his bare wrist snaked up my arm, making me shiver as I spoke again.

"You could never ruin anything. Not for me. I…Edward, this is the sweetest thing anyone has ever given me."

"Really?" His soft expression changed, and he took my hand in his as he stepped closer. "That's a shame."

I felt dizzy as his green gaze dropped to my mouth. "Is it?"

"Yes. Because I'm kinda hoping this is." He dipped his head. "If that's cool."

I leaned in, my precious pumpkins all but forgotten. "Yeah, that's cool."

* * *

 **Well...what do you think?**

 **Look for the next chapter in the next two weeks. Thanks for the love! :)**


	2. Part 3

**Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Hey y'all! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed and favorited my little Leahward fic. I just love these two kids and hope you do too.**

 **Here we go with the third installment! xo**

* * *

 **Halloween 1990**

"Caius, don't eat all those!" I advised from behind the counter. "You'll get a tummy ache and miss the hayride tomorrow."

"Okay, Leah!" he mumbled around a mouthful of ghostly sugar cookies.

His mother shook her head with a smile. "I'll pick up some Pepto Bismol just in case."

"Good idea." I set the change in her open palm. "Enjoy the rest of your night."

"You too!" She corralled the twins away from the sample cookie tray. "Caius, Marcus, let's go."

I brushed my hands on my apron. "May I help who's next?"

Second only to an animated pumpkin patch, Irina's Bakery was the ideal place to be on Halloween. Besides the bounty of baked goodness, there was a constant parade of little ones in adorable costumes, and who didn't love that? Witches and monsters were in short supply, thank God, yielding to baby animals, cartoon characters, and my favorite, fruits and vegetables.

Nothing cuter than a toddling strawberry chasing a pint-sized pumpkin.

"Where is The Irresistible Irina this evening?" Mr. Laurent frowned from his seat by the window. "Finalizing this year's outrageous costume?"

"I wish." I boxed a dozen cupcakes for Mrs. McCarty. "She's got the flu."

"What?"

"Yes. That's why I'm manning the store and…"

"And you let me sit here for the last 28 minutes waiting for her?" He jumped to his feet with a huff. "I should be there, taking care of her. If you'd give me her address, I could just…"

"I think she wants to be alone, you know, because she's still contagious." I smiled kindly. "She wouldn't want you to get sick."

"How kind of her." Mr. Laurent adjusted his ascot and smoothed his lapel. "Very well. Give her my best, would you?"

"Of course. Have a great night, Mr. Laurent."

He gave a terse nod, and as he walked out, Mrs. McCarty leaned in. "Given the choice, I think I'd rather have the flu."

I stifled a smile as I rang her up. "No comment."

"As if Irina would take up with a fussy fop like him. Honestly! He needs to take some notes from that handsome beau of yours, Leah." My cheeks flamed at the allusion, and I fought to stay on task. "What a prize he is. You guys have any special plans tonight?"

"Not really. We're not big on Halloween, and he'll be tired after the game, so…."

"Well, I think you two are a picture perfect couple. You'll be Homecoming King and Queen for sure!"

"That's sweet of you to say." And the last thing either of us wanted.

"Let me get these home." She took the box with a shake of her head. "If I'm lucky, maybe that greedy Emmett will let me have one."

"Fingers crossed." The next customer stepped forward, but my mind was stuck on her mention of my favorite subject.

My darling Edward.

Three years in, and I still couldn't believe it. Not because he's was so phyne or popular…though he was definitely both. I was amazed because no one really knew what was going on between us.

And that was both good and bad.

Don't get me wrong. Our relationship wasn't a secret or anything. We were publicly together and practically inseparable. Living on the same street and attending the same school allowed us to see each other about every waking hour of the day. People expected me at his soccer games and knew he would stop by the bakery after practice to walk me home.

But because Edward was our town's answer to Luke Perry, people expected the world of him and sought to build little altars around him. They assumed he was naturally gifted and good at everything, not realizing how hard he worked in school to earn average marks. Everyone other than Kate and I called him "Ace" for reasons I still didn't get, but he wasn't a great athlete and was only second string on the varsity soccer team. Yet the expectations remained, and because of them, most people missed what made Edward so special.

I saw Edward's brand of special every night at our dinner table and outside on weekends when he helped my dad with yardwork. I felt Edward's brand of special on the couch during _Jeopardy_ when he kissed the back of my hand for each correct Daily Double. I tasted Edward's brand of special when he remembered my favorite ice cream and salty snack. I earned Edward's brand of special when he got the third-highest score on Ms. PacMan at the arcade and used the initials "ENL." I experienced Edward's brand of special in a thousand little wonderful ways, and best of all, I was the only one who ever did.

He was my best kept secret, hidden in plain sight, and I was pleased as punch to call him mine.

At last, the line at the bakery dwindled, and remaining customers nursed coffee and cookies in contentment. I used the break to straighten empty chairs, clean up crumbs, and refill the napkin holder and sugar dispensers. The next wave of major traffic would signal the end of Edward's game, and I could hardly wait to see him. This was our day, and with _The Great Pumpkin_ awaiting us on my VCR, it was shaping up to be an amazing night.

I was adding brownies to the countertop display when Kate stumbled through the front door.

"Whoa, girlie!" I said as she collapsed onto a stool at the counter. "Did Coach Carmen wear you out again today?"

She waved me off, gasping for breath. "No….Important….Gotta tell you…."

"How about you calm down first?" I reached for a glass to give her some water. "You're going to give yourself a heart attack."

"But I…."

"Shhh. It can't be that import—"

"It's Edward."

I stopped pouring. "Is he all right?"

"I…I don't know."

"I don't understand. What happened?"

She held up her finger and gulped down some water. "Okay. So Coach suspended part of our practice to watch and analyze the first half of the boys' game. Garrett came out of nowhere trying to apologize, but I ignored him. Like any apology would change what he did with Alice."

I clucked my tongue. "For real."

"Anyway, Edward came off the bench during the second quarter, and while he was on the field, his father showed up."

"What?"

"I know! I couldn't believe it either. He didn't cheer or anything, but he stayed. During halftime, he went over to Coach James, and they talked for a quick minute. The next thing I knew, Edward and Carlisle were heading to the parking lot, and Edward didn't return for the second half."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. And I couldn't follow them because Coach had started practice again. As soon as she blew the final whistle, I ran here." She sipped more water. "Gawd, I wish there was a way I could have called you from field."

"I know, right? Wouldn't that be cool?" I wrung my hands and glanced at the clock. "Crap, Kate. What should I do?"

"Well, the first thing you're going to do is get out of here." Kate came behind the counter, ignoring my protests. "Go home, regroup, and you'll figure out what to do."

"But what if he…"

"Comes here? I will redirect him there." Kate hugged me, smoothing my hair. "Don't worry. I'm sure everything is fine."

"Are you?"

She met my eyes with a tight smile. "If they aren't right now, they will be. Go get your stuff."

I went into the back and plopped into Irina's office chair. I didn't want to panic or worry, but this story was so strange. Carlisle showing an interest in Edward for the first time in history, only to yank him from the field and disappear? What could that mean?

With no answers forthcoming, I shrugged on my jean jacket as the phone rang. Checking my pockets for my keys, I had them in my hand when Kate's head popped through the curtain.

"It's him. Line 1."

"Okay." I stuffed my keys back into my pocket, praying for courage as I picked up the receiver. "Edward?"

"Leah? Oh, Leah!" His excitement erased my fears, and I relaxed into Irina's chair. "I'm so glad you haven't left yet."

"Me too. How are you? Kate said your father…."

"Leah, I'm so…" He laughed. "I'm so happy I could scream."

"Well, share the wealth." I chuckled. "What's going on?"

"My mother's back!"

I must have heard him wrong. "Your mother?"

"Yes, my mother. I can hardly believe it."

Neither could I. "I didn't…I mean, you never said…"

"I know, and that was…" He sighed with less enthusiasm. "I never talked about her because I didn't know what to say."

"Right."

"She was…I mean, she is…she had problems with drugs. She would leave for weeks at a time, never saying where she was going or when she'd be back. The last time, she was gone for six months, and my dad had enough. So he packed up one night and moved us here. That was five years ago."

"I had no idea."

"I'm sorry I never told you all that. I just…Your family is so great, and I just…I didn't want to burden you with my crazy past."

"But your crazy past is a part of you, Edward. And I accept it just like I accept the rest of you."

"Leah, I…you are just…I don't deserve you."

"Now you're being crazy. So where is your mom?"

"She's back home in Chicago."

"Right, duh. Is your dad bringing her here tonight? Is that why he pulled you from the game?"

"No, he's…" He swallowed hard. "She's not coming here."

"Oh?"

"We're going there."

"Oh. When?"

"Now, actually."

"Wow. But I guess that makes sense. For how long?"

"I don't know."

"What?"

"I don't know."

"Well, let's figure it out now." I looked at the year-at-a-glance wall calendar above Irina's desk. "Let's see. Today is Tuesday, so if you left tonight and stayed the whole weekend, you could come back on Monday without missing any real…"

"No…Leah, it's…" He sighed. "We're not visiting Chicago. We're moving back there. Tonight."

"What?" I came to my feet, bumping my knee on the edge of the desk. "Ow, crap!"

"Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay! I just bumped my knee."

"I'm sorry."

"Forget my knee, Edward." I rubbed the tender spot as I returned to the chair. "How can you up and move back home tonight?"

"We have to."

"No, you don't. I mean, your mom is okay, right? She reached out to say she was fine and ready to…"

"I don't want to talk about that with you."

His tone stopped me cold. "What?"

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be like that. I just…Dad has a rule."

"What kind of rule?"

"A rule we live by: never talk about inside business with outsiders."

The word was a blow to my chest. "You…you see me as an outsider?"

"It's not personal, Leah. It's how we had to survive. Chicago was a big city, so no one would know our business if we didn't spread it around. My mother's struggles were hers alone, and we had no right to share them with anyone. I guess I still feel that way."

"But they weren't just hers, Edward," I said gently. "They affected you and your dad too. I mean, look at how detached he is from you, how little time he spends with…"

"You don't know my dad, Leah."

I bit my lip, feeling the telltale tingle in my eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Crap. This is not…I'm doing this all wrong. I don't want things to end like this."

"End? You want us to end?"

"No, no. Leah, that's the last thing I want."

"Then why did you say it?"

"What choice do I have? We're leaving for Chicago tonight, and we're not coming back. My dad is talking about moving the three of us somewhere new where we can start over together."

"Like where?"

"A small town a few miles from Seattle."

"Seattle? That's the other side of the country! How will I see you?"

"You won't." His voice cracked. "And that's…that's why we have to end this now."

"No."

"Leah…"

"No. Edward. You can't just call and tell me we're done and expect me to be okay with it."

"I don't expect you to be okay with it. I'm not okay with it!" He blew out a harsh breath. "But… this is my mom, Leah. The first woman I ever loved, the first to ever love me, and she needs me. She needs our family together, and I need to be where she is. Can't you understand that?"

I nodded but he couldn't see me. "Yeah, I do. I just…can I at least see you before you go?"

"I don't know. I mean, my dad went to grab something from the pharmacy. That's the only reason I was able to call you. He doesn't think… I mean, he wouldn't want…"

"Outsiders knowing your business. Right."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It's fine."

"No, it sucks. But Leah. If there was any way I could…"

"I know."

There was a long pause as neither of us knew what to say.

"And hey," he finally said. "Someday when I'm…Crap! My dad's pulling into the driveway."

"He is? But we didn't get to…I mean, I wanted to tell you I…."

"I have to go, baby. I'm sorry. I just…" He cursed under his breath. "You're the second, Leah, okay? Just never forget that."

"What? Edward, that doesn't make sense."

"I'm sorry. I have to…"

The line went dead before I could say anything else. I called right back but only got a busy signal. I tried and tried for the next 15 minutes then realized my time could be better spent elsewhere.

I scribbled a note to Kate and bolted from the back door, flying home on lovesick wings. There was no way they could pack that house in a night, and even if Carlisle slammed the door in my face, I had to try.

I had to see Edward one last time.

I rounded the corner of our block, almost colliding with a troupe of tiny trick-or-treaters, and sprinted down the street toward his house. My chest burned, my throat was dry, but it would be worth it to have this moment.

But when I reached the edge of the Masen property, the would-be moment shattered at my feet.

It wasn't that the driveway was empty or the house was dark. It wasn't that the trash was at the curb two days early or that his bicycle wasn't leaning against the house.

It was that when I looked up at his bedroom window, a dead weight settled in my chest, confirming my fears of the worst.

He was gone.

Edward, my Edward, was gone.

I dragged myself across the street, barely remembering to look both ways. When I reached my front step and found the tight bundle in orange cellophane, I clutched it in both hands, curled up in a ball, and cried, heedless of who saw me.

* * *

 **Poor Leah! And poor Edward! I hope you guys are still with me and will hang on for the conclusion in a few weeks. Love to you all! XO**


	3. Part 4

**Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **So it's after Thanksgiving…which is the perfect time to post the next installment of my Leahward Halloween fic, LOL. That's the kind of madcap gal I am!**

 **That last scene was harsh, wasn't it? Ugh. Well, some time has passed, so let's see what Leah is up to. Here we go!**

* * *

 **Halloween, 1997**

"Lookin' good, Ms. Clearwater!" came the call from the top of the ladder. "Are you dressing up as my girlfriend this year?"

"In your dreams, Felix." I unbuttoned my coat and surveyed the area. "How's it going in here?"

"Great!" Angela Cheney came in with an armful of orange and black construction paper. "We're going to turn these into paper chains and hang them on the trees."

"I still don't understand how you can have a Halloween tree." Ben was assembling the bare brown branches in the corner. "Won't the kids be confused?"

"The only one confused here is you." Angela winked as she passed him.

"That's not what you said last night," he muttered.

"Whoa, lover boy!" Felix chuckled as he descended the latter. "Keep it clean."

"I am!" Though his face was red as a beet. "Last night, she asked me to assemble some furniture, and I figured it out. Didn't I, babe?"

"You sure did." Angela smiled sweetly. "And I love my new vanity."

"Y'all ain't foolin' nobody." Felix moved his ladder a few feet to the left. "But I'm'a let it slide."

"You do have it going on, Miss Leah." Angela laid out her supplies on the table. "Hot date tonight?"

All eyes turned to me, and I laughed at their incredulity. "My best friend Kate is in town, and we're going out."

"Sweet!" Angela said. "Aw, but you'll miss the party!"

"I know. But that's why I'm here now. Is Rose in?"

There was a long pause before Felix replied. "She's with the Mallorys."

My heart tightened. "So it's true?"

Felix nodded. "They're returning to Colorado, you know, to be with family."

"How old is Lauren?"

"Not quite five," Angela whispered. "Her birthday is right before Christmas, so…."

"Right." I blew out a long, slow breath. "Well, let's make sure their transition is as smooth as possible. Who's on this afternoon?"

"The missionaries from Living Water Tabernacle and the debate team from Masterman High School," Felix said. "And there's another group, but I can't think of the name."

"Ben and I are staying for the party," Angela said. "So we'll take care of the Mallorys' room."

"Thank you."

The clip-clop of Rose's shoes reached our ears, and everyone went back to work as the Mallorys passed through the main living space. We smiled tentatively in their general direction, pretending not to hear their sniffles out of respect.

"Looks great." Rose cleared her throat. "We should be ready come party time."

"That's the idea," Felix said. "I'm going to get more lights."

"I'll help," Ben paused to rub Angela's shoulder. "The more, the merrier."

Rose appraised me as I approached her. "And where are you going again?"

"On a date. With Kate."

"Is 'Kate' short for 'Kathaniel' or something?"

"Kathaniel?"

She shrugged as she opened the door. "Wouldn't be the strangest name I've ever heard."

"Kate is short for Katherine, and she would kill me if I showed up in khakis." I sat in the chair beside her desk. "She brings out the best in me."

"Thank God for good friends." Rose closed the Mallorys' folder on her desk with a sigh. "I'm glad Eric and Irina have a bunch in Colorado."

"So there's no more hope?"

She shook her head. "The cancer is spreading too fast and in too many directions. This last round of chemo was a long-shot, and it didn't do enough."

I didn't know what to say, but thankfully, Rose bailed me out.

"I do have some good news though. Little Jazz will be discharged this afternoon. And his parents are bringing him to the party."

I was so happy I could have cried. "Jasmine will be thrilled!"

"Yep. Having the Whitlock twins here tonight will make losing the Mallorys easier to handle."

"I wish I could be here." I glanced at my watch. "Maybe I could tell Kate…"

"You can tell Kate and her mother 'thank you' for the cookies they sent," Rose said. "And tell them we want to double the order for Thanksgiving and Christmas."

"But…"

"No buts. Look, I love your dedication, Leah. It's why I want you to replace Crowley as Day House Manager when he retires in June. But you need some balance, something else outside of this place to fill your tank when kids like Laurie Mallory leave you empty. Do you have something or someone like that?"

My mind flashed to a crooked smile beneath soft green eyes, and I yanked it back. "Not for a long time."

"Then you should get it. And this dinner with Kate is a great start." The phone rang on the desk, and she smiled as she answered it. "Ronald McDonald House, Rose McCarty speaking."

I fiddled with the knot at my waist when Rose's words got my attention. "Of course, she's here….She tried that, but I shut it down….I like yours too….Yes, please, and if you bring some extra cookies, I won't hold it against you….Nice talking to you too, Kate. See you tomorrow!" Rose handed me the receiver with a smirk. "Guess who!"

I rolled my eyes, and she headed out. "Why are you calling me here?"

"Because I knew you'd be there," Kate said. "Heaven forbid you not go to work on your day off."

"The Halloween party is tonight. I just wanted to make sure everything was set."

"Of course you did. Anyway, I wanted to warn you that I might be late tonight. I have a meeting with some execs at The Gallery, and if all goes well, this franchise idea might work out."

"Kate, that's wonderful!"

"Ain't it though? Mom has wanted a mall location for a long time."

"I know. So don't worry if you're late. I've got the latest John Grisham to keep me company, and we'll toast your success when you get there."

"You're the best, Leah, thanks! I've got to run, but I'm really looking forward to tonight."

"Me too!"

"Oh, and please inspect the cookies. Mom used a different packing system, so let me know if any are broken or missing."

"You got it. See you later!"

"Love you!"

I hung up the phone just as Felix knocked on the door. "The cookies are here."

"Perfect timing."

As I walked through the kitchen, I caught a whiff of tomato soup. "Smells great, guys!"

"Thanks!" Charlotte bopped to the radio as she stirred. "Shall we save you a grilled cheese sandwich?"

"No, thanks. Saving my appetite for Ruth's Chris."

"I love that place!" Peter entered the kitchen with a loaded handcart. "Get the T-bone. Best in the city, guaranteed."

"I'll keep that in mind." He set the boxes on the counter, and I inspected them. "So far, so good."

"I'm gonna set up the tables for lunch," Peter said. "Fifteen minutes, guys."

Being careful not to rip the outer tab, I opened the top box to find three dozen sugar cookies frosted like jack-o-lanterns. They were the perfect size, shape, and color, and every crumb was in place.

Irina would be pleased.

And as I considered stealing one for nostalgia's sake, I could just about see Kate and me standing in the gym by the refreshment tables, watching our rhythmically-challenged teachers getting their nonexistent groove on.

Then a familiar song would play, sending Kate and me onto the dance floor.

A bittersweet smile touched my lips as the scene played in my mind. We laughed and danced without a care in the world until a copper-haired boy and his friend landed in our sights.

" _I need a man who'll take a chance on a love that burns hot enough to last…"_

I still couldn't believe Kate came up with the idea to telegraph our feelings across the room. Things were so easy then, so carefree and easy before everything changed…

"So when the night falls, loneliness calls!" Charlotte sang out, startling me.

I prepared to be embarrassed for being caught singing aloud, but no one was paying me any attention. The other kitchen volunteers were swaying and singing as they sliced cheese and washed out soup bowls. And as the chorus swelled around me, I realized the song was playing on the radio.

With a tray full of jack-o-lantern cookies in front of me, that song was playing on the radio.

My quality control efforts tripled in speed as Whitney killed me softly with perfect pitch and clarity. I forced back the memories of green-eyed boys and adolescent adrenaline and counted those cookies before the song ended.

"All done," I said in a shaky voice. "Refrigerate the cookies and tell Rose I'll see her tomorrow. Enjoy the party!"

Charlotte's reply was lost to me as I took the rear exit outside. Once on the street, I took a deep breath and let the crisp autumn air clear my head of its folly. There was no reason to let a melancholy memory ruin my night with my best friend. We had a lot to catch up on, namely her recent reunion with Garrett, and I wanted to be in good spirits when we did.

But the more I thought about tonight, the more Rose's words hit home. There was nothing to tell outside of my life at Ronald McDonald House. My parents still lived in my hometown, so I didn't see them often. My remaining relationships from Drexel were superficial at best, and I had little desire to cultivate a real social life. And if I were honest, I could give the real reason why.

The green-eyed, said-goodbye reason why.

Being heartbroken over Edward was my dirty little secret, and I guarded it with my life. The lingering heartache didn't turn me into an insomniac or cat-crazy recluse. But it was why I didn't date or confide in anyone other than Kate.

Or eat mellowcreme pumpkins anymore.

Outside of my work at RMH, I had zero interest in Halloween, and Kate made sure it never became a day of mourning. From the night Edward left when she took me inside and dried my tears with the sleeve of her varsity soccer jacket, she promised to spend every Halloween with me doing non-Halloween things.

And she'd kept her word.

The first year, we had a sleepover at her house and a Bill Murray marathon. In college, we alternated years at each other's schools based on who had the lightest coursework at the time. We went ice skating and attended fascinating lectures on feminism and spelunking. We saw an opera at the Academy of Music and visited the renowned Philadelphia Art Museum. One year, she almost convinced me to pierce my belly button, but I came to my senses and settled for blue streaks in my hair.

I washed them out the next day.

This year, we planned a leisurely dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House on Broad Street and an after-dinner jaunt down South Street. Kate loved its quirky shops and quirkier characters, and I loved being anywhere she was.

It was going to be a great night.

But our reservation wasn't for a few hours yet. The thought of blue streaks gave me an idea, so after a McChicken to go, I headed to a nail salon that took walk-ins. I braced myself for the near toxic fumes and walked in with a smile, selecting the electric blue polish from the wall display.

My technician was across from the television, giving me an ideal view of the screen. As Erica Kane slapped an aggressive would-be suitor, I wondered aloud if Susan Lucci would ever win an Emmy. The query sparked a debate, and I enjoyed the volley of opinions flying around me.

The screen faded to black as the would-be suitor tried to kiss her again, and as I turned away from the screen, the familiar sounds of "Linus and Lucy" filled my ears. I closed my eyes as the cheery announcer informed us that tonight at 8:00 p.m., our favorite blanket-dragging Peanut would try again to catch a glimpse of the elusive Great Pumpkin.

And once again, I was in my parents' den with a bowl of popcorn beside me.

" _Every time Lucy stabs that pumpkin, a little part of me dies," I said after a minute. "Poor Linus."_

" _She's the reason I'm glad to be an only child," he said._

The commercial ended before I could go deeper, and I determined to ignore the screen for the rest of my appointment. I sprung for a pedicure, much to the technician's delight. The blue polish would look great with my peep-toe pumps and might convince Kate I wasn't spending my nights at home watching reruns and pretending not to be lonely.

I hoped.

With my polish shining and my mood improving, I left the salon and caught the 21 bus on Chestnut Street. I got off at Broad Street and walked the few blocks to the restaurant at a comfortable pace.

When I arrived at Ruth's Chris, I submitted Kate's name and prepared to wait. The lobby was full of waiting patrons, but the atmosphere was pleasant. Within minutes, the hostess grabbed two menus, and I followed her to a square table toward the rear of the dining room.

"The reservation said you would prefer a table away from the door," the hostess said. "Is this sufficient?"

"It's great."

"Excellent." The hostess placed a menu beside each place setting. "Your server will be over shortly. If you need anything, please let us know."

"I will." I glanced at her name tag. "Thank you, Tanya."

She grinned. "My pleasure!"

I folded my coat and set it in the adjacent chair. The outside air had turned nippy during my walk, and I pulled out the wine list, browsing the choices. I didn't know squat about wine, but I hoped to see something recognizable. As I turned the page, my gaze landed on the center of my table.

And I froze.

There, to my great alarm, was a bundle of orange daisies in a taupe basket. Around the basket was a bright orange ribbon peppered with green polka dots.

It wasn't identical to my flowers and dress from my uncle's wedding, but it was close.

Too close.

My mouth went dry as my palms began to sweat, and I drew in a deep breath. There had to be an explanation, something more logical than what my brain began believing.

Then I remembered: it was Halloween! Orange flowers in rustic arrangements were common at this time of year. Very common and nothing to be anxious about. I chuckled to myself and prepared to return to my wine list.

Until I looked at the other tables and noticed they were bare.

No baskets, no daisies, and no ribbons of any kind.

Trying not to panic, I waved at the nearest server, stopping just short of grabbing him by the arm. "Excuse me. This is going to sound weird, but do you know why these are here?"

He frowned at the arrangement. "You didn't bring those with you?"

"No." _Obviously._ "They were here when I sat down."

"Hmm. Maybe the last guest left them?"

"Yeah. Maybe. Okay, thanks." He turned to walk away. "Only..."

"Yes?"

"See, the hostess, Tanya, sat me here by request. So I don't think the last guest left them here."

"I see what you mean." He studied the arrangement. "Maybe the flowers were requested too."

That made no sense. "Why would Kate request these flowers?"

"She didn't. I did."

At the sound of that voice, I knew for certain I was having some sort of psychotic break. The cookies, the Whitney Houston song, the Great Pumpkin, and the flowers had congealed in my frazzled mind to produce an audial hallucination of the one person I most feared and desired to see.

Because there was no way it could be him. Not here. Not now.

Not today.

"Sir?" the server was saying. "Are you joining the lady?"

When the very real server addressed couldn't-be-real voice to my left, I realized this moment was no fluke of the imagination or tear in the space-time continuum.

This moment was real.

Steeling myself with a prayer under my breath, I turned in my seat and found the last person I ever expected to see watching me with unreadable eyes.

"Am I, Leah?" Edward asked softly. "Am I joining you?"

* * *

 **Did anyone see that coming? I did, LOL, but in light of the fact that Ed didn't show up until the end...there's another chapter coming! Look for it by New Year's, lol!**

 **See you soon! xo**


	4. Part 5

**Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **It's Christmas Eve Eve… which means it's time for more Halloween Leahward, LOL!**

 **Sorry for the delay. I've had sick kids and a sick me, and we're all just starting to see the light. But I'm so excited to share this next installment with you!**

 **Someone's night just got a whoooooole lot more interesting, hmm? Let's continue!**

* * *

 **Halloween, 1997**

The din of the restaurant.

The flowers, table, and wine list.

All of it ceased to exist and matter.

Because he was here.

Edward was _here_.

"Miss?" The server asked somewhere beside me. "Is the gentleman staying?"

I stared without really seeing, trying to understand what my mind was telling me.

Namely, that he was here.

Edward was _here_.

"Are you all right?"

I heard the server but couldn't make myself look his way. After years of trying to forget or pretending I didn't remember, Edward was here.

 _Here._

With me.

On Halloween.

"Miss?"

I realized I was being rude and blinked out of my trance. Yet my head refused to move, as though afraid if I looked away, Edward would disappear.

"I'm sorry, ma'am." The server sighed. "But I do have other tables."

"Give her a moment," Edward said.

"My apologies." I faced the server. "I was not expecting the gentleman and have no idea why he's here."

"I know, Leah. I…" Edward sighed, and I gripped the sides of my chair to keep from looking at him again. "I just want to talk."

The server ignored him. "Is that all right with you?"

And there was the million dollar question.

Was this all right with me? Could I sit across from Edward after all this time— _all this time!_ —and hear him out?

And if I refused, could I stomach the alternative? Could I sit silently by and let him walk out of my life?

Again?

"He can stay." My voice sounded strange, but I smiled anyway. "Thank you for being so patient."

"My pleasure." His glance at Edward indicated otherwise. "Let me know if you need further assistance."

"I will."

I watched the server disappear into the crowd to avoid the gaze of the man to my left. Despite the surrounding noise, I heard the chair across from me slide out and willed myself not to bolt from the table.

"Thank you for seeing me," he said softly.

I wanted to laugh, as "seeing him" was about the last thing I was doing. The wine list recaptured my attention, and I flipped through it in earnest, searching for something stronger.

Was Liquid Courage an actual beverage?

"Leah?"

I closed my eyes and clamped my lips shut. How many times had I imagined this moment? How many times had I fantasized about hearing his voice again? About hearing him saying my name again?

How many times, I wondered now, had I reacted like a woman being tortured?

"Could you look at me?"

I shook my head, wishing he understood. How could he not know how difficult this was for me? How could he not realize I was falling apart at just the sound of my name on his lips? And now he wanted me to look at him again?

I couldn't do this.

I couldn't do it, and I was a fool to think otherwise.

"Leah, please look at me."

The tenor of his voice compelled me to comply.

And what I saw stole my breath.

There was fear and nervousness sullying the perfect green of his eyes. There was excitement (to my surprise) and something else I couldn't quite define.

But beyond that, beneath that, was vulnerability so profound I could have cried. He didn't blink, didn't speak, and I took the time to drink it all in: Edward Masen, raw and humbled before me.

It was a miracle in more ways than I could count.

"Excuse me?"

I jumped at the feminine voice over my shoulder. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry I startled you." Tanya offered a timid smile. "But you have a call."

"A call?"

"Yes." She glanced toward the hostess station. "You can take it over there."

I eyeballed the distance between here and there, uncertain I was strong enough to make the trip.

"I'll wait" came the gentle voice from the other side of the table. "Take as long as you need."

I didn't dare attempt eye contact again, but I managed a nod as I rose to follow Tanya. My legs felt as if they would give out beneath me, but I forced their cooperation, refusing to begin with a wipeout in the middle of the dining room.

My fragile nerves wouldn't survive such a misstep.

Tanya led me to an alcove to the right of the hostess station, indicating the phone on the high-top desk. "Line 3."

"Thank you." I took a steadying breath, praying nothing had gone wrong at the Halloween party. "Hello?"

"Don't hate me."

I recognized the voice instantly. "Katherine Elena Denali…"

"The government name," Kate said. "I must be in trouble."

"What did you do?"

"The real question is: what did you do?"

"What?"

"Are you dining alone?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I don't think that's the point right now."

"I think that's exactly the point."

"What is he doing here, Kate?" I hissed into the receiver. "How did this happen?"

"Don't you want to hear those answers from him?"

"No!" My volume drew the attention of a passing patron. "I don't know what I want."

"I don't believe that, but let me tell you what I want. I want you to return to that table and confront the man who broke your heart seven years ago. Say what you want, do what you feel, and by the time the check comes, you'll know."

"Know what?"

"If it's time to close the door on the past or take a leap of faith for your future."

I felt the watery tremor creep into my voice. "I can't do this, Kate."

"Yes, you can."

"I don't even know what to say."

"Then just listen. He came to you, so he must have something to say."

She had a point. And though the situation was more surreal than serendipitous, I owed it to myself to hear him out.

If only to silence seven years of 'what ifs.'

"I hate you."

"I know."

"Was there ever a meeting?"

"Yes."

"How'd it go?"

"We made a deal."

"I still hate you."

"I know. Happy Halloween, Leah."

Kate hung up, and I stared at the receiver until Tanya poked her head in. "Everything okay?"

"Yes." I set down the phone. "Just a business call."

"Good." She studied her black ballet flats. "Listen, um, Ms….

"Clearwater."

"Ms. Clearwater. I heard you objected to the flowers, and I just wanted to say that I only…"

"It's fine. My issue lies with whomever requested them. I know you were only doing your job."

"Oh, good! I would hate to have ruined your night."

"You didn't."

 _Let's hope my uninvited guest won't do the honors._

I made my way back to the table and felt Edward's gaze on me the whole time. It was a challenge to focus on my destination without looking at him, but I managed well enough. Resuming my seat, I flipped open the menu without a word or glance in his direction.

If he was going to crash my night with Kate, then he would have to get this started.

Whatever it was.

"Is everything okay?"

"Fine." I was surprised by how strong I sounded. "Just a minor issue at work."

"Where is work?"

"Ronald McDonald House in West Philadelphia."

He chuckled. "Of course."

My head snapped up. "What does that mean?"

"You're a natural nurturer with a heart the size of Saturn. You'd be right at home in a place like that."

My annoyance simmered to embers. "I am."

"That's great, Leah. Really. So what do you do there?"

"What are you doing here?"

He flinched. "I deserve that."

"And I deserve answers." I closed my menu. "Starting now."

"I have answers. But I don't know your questions."

"What?"

"I want to tell you everything, but I don't know what you want to know."

"I want to know what you're doing here!" I leaned forward to keep from raising my voice. "You appear out of the blue after seven years of silence, and for what?"

"To answer your questions."

"And that's it?"

"No, that's…" He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, and my traitorous heart leapt at the sight. "That's not it."

"Then what else is there?"

He met my gaze, and I folded my hands atop the table to stall their shaking. "I came here to apologize, to answer your questions, and to…"

"Yes?"

"To see if I'm too late."

On their own, the words could have meant anything: too late to invest in Irina's Bakery. Too late to join the planning committee for the next high school reunion.

But with that look in his eyes and the history between us, "too late" could only mean one thing.

And it was up to me to respond.

"Good evening!" I was grateful for this server's arrival. "My name is Alec, and I'll be your server tonight." He filled our water glasses, and I took an immediate sip. "Here are tonight's specials."

Edward's face cleared of emotion as he listened to Alec's recitation. The shaggy-haired server could have suggested sautéed shoelaces over herb-crusted Styrofoam, and I wouldn't have noticed.

My mental attention was focused on an entirely different matter.

"Shall I order first?" Edward asked.

"Are you paying?"

"I am at least good for that."

I looked at Alec. "What's the most expensive thing on the menu?"

Edward laughed, shocking us both, and I rescued Alec from awkwardness by ordering a T-bone with mashed potatoes and asparagus.

"That sounds good," Edward said. "I'll have the same."

Alec finalized the details and took his leave, and the tension at our table returned. I took another sip of water, and Edward cleared his throat. "Have you been here before?"

"No, but it seems nice." I set down my glass, and something occurred to me as I looked around. "The door."

"I'm sorry?"

"Tanya sat me away from the door because you were afraid I would leave." He didn't deny it. "The flowers?"

"Guilty."

"The song?"

"What song?"

"Never mind." There was no way I'd mention the cookies. "How did you convince Kate to help you?"

"Didn't take much convincing." Though he didn't sound pleased. "She said you guys had plans but she'd let me take her spot on a three conditions."

"And they were?"

"I had to be honest. I had to accept whatever you decided. Oh, and I had to get the check."

"Well, that last one was a no-brainer."

"What about the rest?"

I shrugged. "How would I know if you're being honest? I haven't seen you in seven years, Edward. A person can change a lot in that much time."

"Not too much though." His voice sent a shiver down my spine. "You're almost exactly as I imagined."

I reached for my water glass. "Almost?"

"Your hair is longer, wavier." I felt his gaze on my face. "And your nails are a different color."

"You thought about my nails?"

"I've thought about every single part of you, Leah. Thought of little else since I left town."

I set down the glass, careful not to spill my water. "But you never called or wrote."

"I know." He dragged a hand down his face. "There was so much going on with the four of us, and I didn't know how to…"

"Four?" I steeled myself. "There was someone else?"

"Yes." At my sharp inhale, he shook his head. "Not for me! No, um…with my mother."

Alec returned with salads I didn't remember ordering, and I all but shooed him away. "Your mother had someone?"

"Yes. Well, she did five months after we got to Chicago."

"Five months after you…" My mouth dropped open. "She was pregnant?"

Edward's brow furrowed. "My dad was devastated."

A wave of smugness filled my heart, and I was immediately ashamed. Though his father's rules ruined our relationship, it was wrong to be pleased by his pain. "I'm sure he was."

"Should we pray?" He cleared his throat. "Before we eat?"

"Oh." That made sense. "Definitely, yes."

"Great."

He extended his hands across the table.

"What are you doing?"

"Praying." He offered a small smile. "Is that okay?"

"Yes, but…." I glanced at his hands. "I, um… I mean, I don't…."

"Right." He dropped his hands into his lap. "That was presumptuous. I'm sorry."

The whole night was presumptuous, but I saw no reason to say that. "I'm not trying to hurt you, Edward. It's just a little…"

"I know. You're here, and that's plenty. I shouldn't have pushed for more."

"Maybe we should pray silently on our own," I said. "I'm sure God can multitask."

His chuckle was hollow. "Sure."

I bowed my head and pleaded for direction. This night was not turning out the way I'd planned, and though I was grateful for the chance to see Edward again, my ping-ponging emotions were of little help. One minute I wanted to hear him out and the next I wanted to hide in the bathroom.

Wasn't this what I'd prayed for all these years? Wasn't this what I most wanted every Christmas and birthday? So why was it so hard to do? Why was it so uncomfortable and weird?

Because it was real. And anything I couldn't control scared the daylights out of me.

Edward shifted in his seat, and I realized my head was still bowed. I tacked on an actual prayer to my musings and muttered an audible Amen.

"Sorry." I raised my head with a smile. "Got lost in thought."

"I know the feeling."

"So….what happened with the…"

"The baby?" He pulled out his wallet. "See for yourself."

He slid his wallet across the table, open to the photo holder. And beneath the clear plastic covers, I saw someone who looked like someone who once jumped up and down outside my backdoor.

But her hair was curlier.

"She looks just like you." I flipped through the photos. "I mean, she could be your daughter."

"I always imagined my daughter with silky black hair," he murmured. "And darker eyes."

I looked up and found him staring at me with that vulnerability from earlier. I handed him back his wallet, and he stuck it in his jacket without looking away. We hadn't talked about anything, hadn't figured a thing out, but here we were now, staring a possible future in the face.

And the thought of him thinking about our children had brought us here.

"You asked why I didn't call or write," he continued. "I've written you dozens of letters since Halloween 1990, letters I either ripped up or burned because you deserved so much more than I could put onto paper."

"Edward…"

"There was no way to apologize for leaving like that, no way to ask you to forgive me, let alone beg you to wait."

"Edward, please…"

"Because I knew I couldn't come back. As much as I missed you and wanted to be with you, I couldn't do that to her." He shook his head. "I couldn't leave my sister like my mother did."

I gasped. "She left again?"

Edward's nostrils flared as his voice hardened. "This time, there was a note."

I couldn't speak. For all the pain his leaving caused, the promised reunion with his mother was the one positive takeaway.

And she destroyed that too.

"At least I got Esme out of the deal," he said at length.

"Esme?"

"Esmeralda, my sister." His smile was wide and proud. "She's amazing. She actually…"

"What?"

"She reminds me of you."

"Me?"

"She's bright, quick, and has a smile that makes everything better."

"Is she also suspicious of excessive flattery?"

He smiled. "What do you think?"

"I think." I set my napkin in my lap, grateful for the distraction of food. "I think we should eat before Alec returns with our entrees."

"Whatever you say, Ms. Clearwater."

The flirty formal address set my cheeks aflame, and I kept my head down to keep him from noticing. And as my heart rate struggled to remain normal, I had a sobering thought.

 _This is just the first course._

* * *

 **Sooooo….what do we think? Edward still has some 'splainin' to do, but I think this is a promising start.**

 **THANK YOU ALL for spending part of 2015 with these two kids. Few people appreciate the magic of Leahward, so your support and reviews are so very dear to my heart.**

 **May you have a blessed, peaceful Christmas season and welcome 2016 with eager, open arms. See you next year! XO**


	5. Part 6

**Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Happy New Year! I hope January kicked off your 2016 right, and if not, today is a good day to begin again.**

 **Longest one so far! Let's see how that first course is going.**

* * *

 **Halloween, 1997**

Much to my relief, I survived the first course with my emotional sanity intact. Edward steered us away from prickly topics like our past or the future and told me about his life in Chicago, which was mostly about Esme.

"It's crazy to watch her grow up and become this…person." He shook his head. "It seems like yesterday she came home from the hospital."

"What was that like for you, having a little sister all of a sudden?"

"I wish I could say I was happy from the beginning, but I was just so angry."

"Why?"

He stared at me so long I thought he wasn't going to answer. "I couldn't believe my mom would betray my dad like that, deceive us like that. We hadn't seen her in five years and couldn't wait to be with her again. But to lure us home without telling us the whole story? What kind of person does that?"

I chose not to answer that. "Did she ever say anything about Esme's father?"

"Not to me." He pushed the remaining salad greens around his plate. "And my dad…after a while, he didn't care about that."

"What do you mean?"

"He barely spoke to her when we first got back to Chicago. Ignored her and the pregnancy as if that would change things. Then he worried his indifference would run her off again, so he doted on her, cared for her every need, and promised to stand by her no matter what. Whenever she tried to talk about Esme's father, my dad insisted she leave the past in the past. Guess he didn't know she saw us as her past too."

"Okay, your entrees will be out in a few minutes," Alec clapped his hands as he arrived then noticed Edward's expression. "Was something wrong with your salad?"

"Oh, no. It's fine." I smiled for both of us. "But if you could clear these, that would be great."

"Certainly. I'll be back with your main course soon."

I nodded at Alec and returned my attention to Edward. "We don't have to talk about this if you don't want to."

"No, it's good. It's amazing, actually." He attempted a smile. "I…I could never talk to anyone about this, so I…I like having you here to listen."

"Even though outsiders shouldn't know your family's business."

He winced. "I shouldn't have said that to you."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not." He dragged a hand down his face. "That night, I was so…I just couldn't believe my mom was back, and I said things I shouldn't have. I'm sorry."

I waved him off. "Okay."

"It wasn't only that, you know," he said after a moment. "The reason I didn't have anyone to talk to."

"Wait. Don't you have friends in Chicago?"

He shrugged. "Dad had moved us into a new neighborhood, and though I went to a good school, it was the middle of junior year. No one was interested in getting to know the new kid."

"Not even your teammates?"

"There was no team to speak of. It's not like I went back to Chicago to play varsity soccer. I went back because I thought my mother wanted to be a family again. When I got there and found out she was pregnant, I just…I didn't care about anything for a while."

"I can't imagine."

"In the end, I realized she was our first priority, but we weren't hers." He met my gentle gaze. "Made me wish I hadn't forsaken my second."

I frowned and looked away. I didn't know why he liked reminding me I would always be second, a part of his conciliation life, but this moment wasn't about me, so I let it go.

Or tried to.

"So you had no friends at all? No neighbor, no classmates, no uh…" I swallowed hard. "No—no girlfriend? Nobody?"

"I worked on a few group projects in school," he said. "But those never blossomed into friendships. And the block we lived on was full of young, childless couples who had no interest in a displaced, discontent teenager. College was better, but I had other priorities and couldn't relate to anyone."

"And?"

"And what?"

"And…what about the other thing?"

He wiped his mouth with the napkin. "What other thing?"

"Edward, you know what I'm asking."

He set down the napkin and leaned forward. "Actually I don't know what you're asking because I'm hoping you don't really think _that_ would have ever been possible for me, let alone so soon after leaving you. So I'm going to pretend I don't know what you're asking in hopes that you'll stop asking because you'll realize that question never needs asking."

I swallowed hard. "Never?"

"Never."

I reached for some water to cool my warming cheeks.

"What about you?" he asked.

"What?"

"Is there…" He cleared his throat. "I mean, I don't really have the right, but is there…"

"A question you need to ask?"

"Yes." He waited, his eyes never leaving mine. "And if there is, I understand. I mean, what did I expect? For you to just…"

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"No."

"No?"

"No." I smiled slowly. "You can ask me whatever you want, but um, there's no need to ask me that."

"Never?"

"Here we are!" Alec returned with our identical plates on a large tray. He probably described the entrees and verified our satisfaction, but I didn't hear a single word.

All I could hear was the hope in Edward's last question.

It would be so easy to tell him the truth: that there had never been anyone else for me and never would be. That I'd thought about no one but him since the day he left and I would never want him to leave me again.

But there were other truths too, other things I needed to know first. And it would be unfair to let him think we could sail off into the sunset when I still carried so much trepidation about it.

The trepidation of knowing I was second to the life he wanted.

"Can I get you anything else?" Alec asked me.

"This looks great, thanks."

He bowed and approached the next table of patrons, starting his opening spiel once more.

"Leah?"

"Yes?"

"You don't have to answer." Edward was focused on salting his asparagus. "You're here now, and that's…that's more than enough. I can be content with that."

"You keep saying that. Are you surprised I'd stay this long?"

"To hear Katherine tell it? Yes."

I set down my forkful of potatoes. "What does that mean?"

"What does what mean?"

"You just said Kate said something."

He paused. "I did?"

"Yes."

"Please forget I mentioned her. She's going to kill me."

"At this rate, she'd have to get through me first. Now spill it."

He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Okay. When I finally talked to Katherine, she…"

"How?"

"How what?"

"How did you speak to her? She never mentioned being in touch with you." He looked away, and I folded my arms. "Edward, come on."

"It wasn't her at first. It was her mother."

"Irina? Why?"

"Because after I left town, I kept tabs on her bakery. As long as it was open, I knew I'd be able to find you when I was ready."

I had no sensible reply to that, so I kept silent.

"I had no idea where you were or what you were up to, but I was determined to see you this year, having chickened out in the past. So I called the bakery early last month, and Irina answered. When I told her who I was…" He shook his head. "I thought my ears were going to bleed out from all the yelling."

I couldn't stop myself from smiling. "She loves me."

"Yes. Which is why she refused to mention your name until she knew I was serious."

"How did you convince her?"

"I don't know if I ever did," he admitted. "But she must have grown tired of me calling all day every day and finally said she gave my number to Katherine. And if she didn't get back to me, then I should move on."

"Why are you calling her Katherine?"

"She said I had to earn the right to her nickname."

I suppressed a chuckle at that. "When did she finally call you?"

"At 5:30 this morning. It has been the longest three weeks of my life! I had no idea where you lived, what you were doing, or if she would help me. But our special day was coming, and I was determined to see you this year. And I held on to that hope."

Another sip of water was in order. "What did she say?"

"She was kinder than Irina, but most of what she said wasn't for your ears."

"I think I have a right to know."

"I don't think you want to know."

I folded my arms. "Tell me."

He sighed and looked away. "She told me…she said she waited until the last minute because she wanted me to know what it felt like to want someone so much I'd chase after them without being sure I would catch them. She said it was my turn to be humiliated."

My heart stopped. "Your turn?"

He met my gaze. "I didn't know you came after me, that you ran to my house that night and..."

"No." I buried my face in my hands. "Tell me she didn't…"

"Please don't hide." I felt his fingers pulling mine away one by one. "Not from me."

"I cannot believe she told you that."

"I'm glad she did."

"Why? So you'd know just how pathetic I was?"

"Don't you ever call yourself pathetic, especially not for doing something so beautiful."

"Beautiful? My public embarrassment was beautiful to you?"

"No, that's…" He dropped his hands with a groan. "This isn't coming out right."

"Then maybe we should talk about something else."

"Leah, I…"

"No, Edward. You're here. So am I. Let's not sully the night with unpleasant memories."

"You're right. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." I cut into my steak. "Tell me more about Esme. What was she like as a child?"

With somewhat less enthusiasm, Edward painted a picture of a precocious, intelligent little girl who asked a million questions a minute and was never satisfied with the answers given. I smiled and nodded in the right places, but the mood was different.

Ruined, even.

He warned me not to ask about Kate, and I should have listened. But _she_ should not have told him about me running after him. What could possibly have prompted her to betray my confidence and to him of all people? The more I thought about it, the more aggravated I became.

"Is something wrong with your steak?" Edward asked, interrupting my private tirade.

"No. Why?"

He glanced at my plate. "No reason."

I looked down to find my gourmet-caliber meat butchered to angry bits.

"Do you want mine?" he asked.

"I couldn't take it."

"Why not?"

"Because it's yours."

"Leah?"

"Yes?"

"I'm not here for the steak."

With a small smile, he moved the centerpiece aside and slid his plate across the table to me, accepting mine in exchange. From the look of things, he hadn't touched his food at all.

"Aren't you hungry?" I asked.

"As I said." His gaze traveled over me, searing me with its heat. "I'm not here for the food. So bon appetit."

I picked up my utensils and cut my food like a civilized person this time. "How is your father?"

"The same, I guess." He speared a piece of my mutilated meat. "I don't see him much anymore, but I hear he's well."

"You don't see him? Why not?"

"After my mother left, he became withdrawn, threw himself completely into his work. He practically sleeps at the hospital and seldom comes to see us."

"You and Esme are living on your own?"

He nodded, holding my gaze. "I'm her legal guardian."

"You're her…wow. Since when?"

"For years now, but it became official this year. That's why I could finally come see you. With that issue settled, I could tell you whatever you wanted to know without any major details left to chance."

I kept my head down as I nodded, hopefully hiding whatever reaction my face might have displayed.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine."

"I'm sorry. I've been trying to figure out when and how to tell you, but I didn't want to make you nervous."

I laughed shortly. "You make me much more than nervous, Edward, so that was guaranteed either way."

"Fair enough." I felt him smile. "Well I don't think there are words for what you make me, Leah. But no matter what else is going on, I want to figure out what those sacred words might be, if you'd let me."

"See, right there." I set down my fork. "You come in here after all this time and say things like that, and I…"

"Yes?"

"I don't know what to think."

"Am I being unclear?" He leaned forward. "Shall I just spell it out for you?"

"How is everything over here?" Alec asked as Edward swore under his breath.

"We're fine," he said tightly.

"So why the…" Alec looked at Edward who glanced at me then back at Alec who finally seemed to get the point. "Oh, gotcha. This is a 'don't call us—we'll call you' situation."

"If you don't mind," Edward said.

"Say no more." Alec offered a pert bow. "Enjoy it, whatever it is."

"I'm sorry I snapped at him," Edward said after our server left. "I just…I've been waiting for this moment for so long, and I don't want him or anything else messing up my second chance."

The word brought a sour lump to my throat. "Please don't call it that."

"But it is. And it's perfect. My second chance with my precious second." He looked at our plates. "And a confession during the second course!"

"All right, I get it." I rested my hands on the table. "I am never first, always second."

"Yes. And I'm so glad. Because if you were first, we wouldn't be here."

"What?"

He reached for my hands, and I was too slow to move them. "Do you remember the last thing I said before my dad disconnected the line?"

Dejection filled my heart. "Yes, I do."

"Good." He actually smiled. "Then you know what it means for you to be the second, and…"

"Yes, I do. And if you think that's a good place for us to start, then you don't know me at all."

I snatched my hands back, and he frowned. "What?"

"You know what? This was a mistake. A nice idea, but a mistake. Because no matter what you say, no matter how many questions I don't need to ask, I will always be second! And I deserve better than that, Edward. I need better than that, and you will never understand."

"Leah, wait. I don't think you…"

"No, Edward. Let's just be done with this, okay?" I gathered my things and hastily rose from the table. "Thank you for dinner, but I need to go."

"Leah, no."

"Goodbye, Edward."

He reached for my arm, and I spun in the other direction, causing him to crash into the table. I heard the clatter of dishes behind me and saw other diners turn toward the commotion, but I kept going.

I had to make it out of the restaurant.

"Leah! Leah, please. Leah, WAIT!"

Edward bellowed so loudly it startled me to a complete stop. I felt the attention of everyone in the dining room, but it was Tanya's face as she turned the corner with an armful of menus that got my attention.

"Ms. Clearwater?" Her bright blue eyes widened. "I think you'd better turn around."

With an awkward smile and no idea what to expect, I slowly turned around to face Edward.

And clamped my hands over my gaping mouth.

Mashed potatoes were splattered on Edward's face and chest, and steak-based stains dotted the sleeves of his shirt. He had an asparagus stalk in his hand and water dripping from his cheeks and running down the leg of his perfectly creased slacks.

He was a glorious mess.

But none of that distracted from the look in his eyes as he approached me, the ferocious, focused look that pinned me in place and made my heart race in my chest.

"Do you remember what I said that night?" he said when he reached me. "About my mother?"

I rolled my eyes. "Edward, I really don't want to talk about her right now."

"Humor me." He tossed the asparagus aside. "Do you remember what I said?"

I adjusted my bag and coat in my arms, and Alec took them. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," he mouthed.

"What did I say, Leah?" Edward repeated.

"Fine. You said she was back, that you missed her, and had to leave town to go back to her."

"Yes. What else?"

"You said she had problems with drugs and left you a lot as a child and had been gone five years."

"What else?"

"I don't know, Edward!" I threw up my hands. "What else could possibly matter now?"

He exhaled through his nose, emerald eyes blazing, and I held my breath.

"I said she needed me and I had to go back because she was my mom," he said slowly. "The first woman who ever loved me. The first woman I ever loved." He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Now…do you remember what I said before the line disconnected?"

I closed my eyes with a gasp as the familiar words filled my mind, this time in an entirely different way.

" _I have to go, baby. I'm sorry. I just… you're the second, Leah, okay? Just never forget that."_

 _You're the second, Leah._

 _The_ _second._

"The second." I opened my teary eyes to find him watching me intently. "That's what you meant. That you…that I was the second…."

"The second woman I ever loved." He took my hands, a tenuous smile on his lips. "The second woman who ever loved me. That's why hearing about you running after me was so beautiful, Leah. Why it gave me hope even as it pained me to imagine it. Because it proved I was right—that you did love me. Despite my leaving and not knowing if I'd come back, you came after me."

"All this time." I shook my head, causing the tears to roll down my face. "All these years, I thought you meant I would always be second to your mother or your past or your…"

"You are second to no one." He cupped my cheek, brushing aside the moisture with a tender thumb. "But you are the second woman I ever loved. And I hope to someday earn your trust enough to ensure that you will be the last."

"Edward." I bit my lip, determined to stop the floodgates. "Do you mean that?"

"I do. I would. If you'd let me try."

"I would like nothing more than to let you try." I smiled. "If that's cool."

"Yeah." His crooked grin was blinding. "That's cool."

"Kiss her, you food-covered fool!" someone called out.

"I was getting to that!" Edward yelled back.

"Not so fast." I stood on tiptoe with a smile. "I might beat you to it."

He laughed. "Not a chance."

Edward wrapped his arms around me and dipped me back. When our lips finally met, the restaurant erupted in cheers and applause. Edward kissed me in earnest, his strong grip holding me close as his gentle kisses proved how much he missed me. And with each sensuous pass of his lips, my every apprehension faded away.

"I will never let you go again," he murmured as he brought me upright. "I swear on a year's supply of candy corn."

"And I will never regret being the second." I swiped a dollop of mashed potatoes from his chin. "Happy Halloween, Mr. Masen."

"Happy Halloween, Ms. Clearwater." He nipped the mush from my finger with a grin. "And many, many more."

* * *

 **FINALLY! I was starting to worry they would never get things straightened out.**

 **So that's the last proper chapter. Epilogue to follow soon. Thanks for reading! XO**


	6. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Well this is it! I'm not quite ready to say goodbye, but these two kids need to get on with their lives.**

 **So let's see how it ends, hmm?**

* * *

 **Epilogue: Halloween, 2001**

"Candy corn?" Edward asked.

I held up the family-sized bag in my left hand. "Check."

"Pumpkins?"

I raised my right hand. "Check."

"Popcorn?"

"And YooHoo. I think we're all set."

"Not quite." Edward wrapped his arms around my waist. "I'm hoping you have room for something sweeter."

"Recycling old lines, Mr. Masen?"

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

He bent to kiss me, and I melted against him, nearly dropping the bags of loot on the floor. No matter how many times it happened, I would never get over the wonder of kissing Edward. It was like coming home again and being welcomed with open arms.

Open arms and warm, soft lips.

"Ew!" Esme shuddered as she entered the kitchen. "Not in front of the snacks."

"You say that now." I stepped away from Edward and toward the lower cabinets to grab some bowls. "But you just wait a few years until…"

"You mean a few decades," Edward was quick to say. "Maybe even a half-century."

Esme plopped on a kitchen stool. "Eddie!"

"What?" He actually looked offended. "I don't see why you can't start dating when you're 60. By then, you'll have lived a full, boy-free life and really know what you want."

"You can't be serious!"

"He's kidding." I bumped him with my hip as I returned to the counter. "That or delirious."

Edward folded his arms. "I am neither."

"Yes, you are." I kissed his cheek. "But I'm okay with that."

"Mock all you want, woman, but I am resolved."

"But Eddie." Esme grabbed a handful of popcorn. "Didn't you and Leah start dating at my age?"

Edward looked up with wide eyes, and I smothered my laughter with a cough. "Bree's mother will be dropping her off soon," I said. "And she agreed to let her spend the night."

"Sweet!" Esme said. "I'm gonna wait on the porch."

Esme bounded out of the room, and Edward finally found his voice. "Were we really that young?"

"Not quite. We met at 11 and started dating at 14."

Edward grimaced. "She'll be 12 in five months!"

"Don't worry. It will be fine."

"Right. What do you think of a fine, all-girls Catholic school where the nuns are former Navy Seals?"

"I think you're nervous about Esme growing up. And I think that's adorable." I emptied the candy into a large bowls. "Oh, and I think that school sounds amazing."

He dragged a hand down his face. "I'm not ready for this."

"For what?"

"Esme talking about boys, dating boys. Doing anything with boys that involves boys. I'm just…not ready."

"I know. But that's okay because neither is she."

"How do you know?"

I lowered my voice. "Because I overheard her on the phone with the soon-to-arrive Bree yesterday."

"And?"

"And apparently Riley Biers has a crush on Bree and tried to kiss her cheek during lunch, but she moved out of the way, and he fell into the table."

"Poor kid. But good for Bree."

"Anyway, I overheard Leah say that if someone ever tried to kiss her, she'd kick him in the shins."

"That's my girl!" Edward's smile fell into confusion. "So why did she mention that we started dating at her age?"

"Because you're her big brother-slash-guardian, and using your life against you is her part-time job."

He came around to my side of the counter. "Thank God you're here to keep me sane."

"I'm only here for the snacks. And the arm candy."

"Oh, I know you're into candy." He wrapped his arms around my waist. "And I'm proud to be your favorite kind."

"You're my only kind." I reached behind him for a mellowcreme pumpkin. "With two yummy exceptions."

He chuckled as I fed him a piece. "I love you, Mrs. Masen."

"And I love you, Mr. Masen."

"Bree's here!" Esme bellowed.

"We're coming!" I yelled back. "I'll be there in a second."

With a wink, Edward loaded the huge snack tray and left the room, leaving me to my thoughts.

My happy, heady, Halloweeny thoughts.

Though the fiasco of our meeting at Ruth's Chris ended on a swoon-worthy high note, creating a viable relationship out of our circumstances proved challenging.

For one thing, Edward lived in Chicago, and I lived in Philadelphia. Both of us were invested in our current cities, Edward more so as Chicago was also Esme's home. She was doing well in school, had friends and a life she loved, and uprooting her was out of the question.

On top of that, I wasn't quite ready to throw myself into forever with Edward. He was certain of us, and I adored him for that, but I was still nervous.

"I know it's stupid," I'd said to Kate on a December date the following year. "But he left once, and it nearly crushed me. What if he does that again?"

"You really think he'd do that? After all he went through to get you back?"

"Stranger things have happened. I mean, look at you and Garrett."

Kate patted her round belly with a smile. "Tell me about it. Who gets pregnant with triplets on a surprise layover in Topeka?"

"And gets married in a tacky Vegas chapel two months later?"

"If this were someone else's life, it would be hilarious. Movie-of-the-week hilarious." She sipped her lemon water. "So let's look at this from that angle."

"Look at what?"

"Your fears about Edward. If this were the plot of a cheesy movie of the week, what would you want the heroine to do?"

"You can't be serious."

She plucked a crispy breadstick from the basket on the table. "You got any better ideas?"

I took my own breadstick and dipped it in the provided marinara, chewing it over.

If this were a movie, I would want the heroine to go for it. I would want her to toss off every fear about the past and embrace the love available to her right now. I would want her to fly to Chicago on wishful wings, show up at her beloved's door, and plant a saucy kiss on him when he opened the door.

Just the thought of it was enough to make me sigh with happiness.

But this wasn't a movie. This was my life. And there were no guarantees of Happily Ever After in real life. Didn't I learn that lesson already?

"There are no guarantees of anything," Kate muttered around her breadstick.

 _Had I spoken aloud?_ "Huh?"

"I know you, Clearwater. You're afraid to trust again because you want to be sure you won't get hurt, and that's impossible." She sipped her raspberry lemonade. "In fact, I can guarantee the opposite."

"What does that mean?"

"It means Edward will hurt you. He will say something stupid or forget something important or get in a foul mood and take it out on you. He will hurt you, disappoint you, anger you, and possibly take you for granted. And you will look at him and wonder what happened to the man you fell in love with."

The possibility alone made me sick to my stomach. "Why would you say that?"

"Because it's the truth. But you know what else is true?"

"What?"

"You will do the same to him. And there will be arguments and confusion and adjustments on and off for the rest of your lives. But that's real life, Leah. And along with the gooey, mushy stuff we dream of, that's what real love involves. So if you love Edward or even think you could love, you need to be willing to love him in real life."

I thought about Kate's wise words for days, wondering if I could put my whole heart on the line again with Edward and see if we could make it work. For real.

And as I looked at my current life, I could never be sorry I did.

The ringing phone shook me out of my thoughts, and I answered on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Ha, I knew you'd be home! You owe me $10!"

"I didn't say she wouldn't be home!" Felix cried in the background. "I said she'd be too busy with her groom to answer the phone."

"And you were wrong," Rosalie shouted back. "Either way, $10, buddy."

"Thanks for nothing, Leah," he replied.

"Tell Felix I miss him too." I sat on a bar stool by the counter. "Is everything okay? Why are you in the office so late?"

"Because I couldn't wait to tell you the news." She paused for effect. "We got the grant."

"You did?" I leapt off the stool. "For the full amount?"

"More. About fifteen percent more!" Her voice rose in excitement. "Leah, I can hardly believe it!"

"Me either!" This was the best news I'd heard all year. "So you're finally getting to expand the residential quarters."

"And early projection suggest we'll be able to support up to 100 more families per year, maybe as many as 120."

Happy tears pricked my eyes. "Oh, Rose. I… I could not be happier for you."

"I could have waited until next week to tell you, but…"

"No, I'm glad you didn't. This is fantastic news!"

"And as soon as I left that meeting, I knew you had to be the second person I told."

"Second?"

I heard her blush through the phone. "Well, Felix was there."

"Naturally." I shook my head. "I still cannot believe you guys are dating after all these years."

"I know, right? Will wonders never cease?"

Edward poked his head in. "Wheel of Fortune is about to go off."

"Be right there," I mouthed.

"Speaking of wonders." Rosalie chuckled under her breath. "How's Mr. Incredible?"

"Incredible." I couldn't keep the breathiness from my voice. "But I can tell you more about it next week."

"And don't you leave anything out."

"I won't. Call me the minute you get settled at the hotel, and congratulations!"

"Thanks, Leah. Enjoy your night!"

I could not have been happier for Rose and my first Ronald McDonald House family. She had been dreaming of this expansion since I met her, and to finally see it coming to pass…she must be over the moon.

Kinda how I felt since moving to Chicago two years ago.

A week after my date with Kate, I met with Rosalie to discuss my professional options. To my surprise, she anticipated this decision and had already spoken to her contacts in Chicago.

"From the moment you floated in here after that Halloween dinner, I knew this day would come." She slid some papers across the desk. "Here are the current openings for four Ronald McDonald Houses in the Chicago metro area. Look them over and tell me what looks good to you."

I tried to thank her for being so gracious, but she waved me off.

"Your heart has belonged to Edward since you were 11." Her gentle smile soothed my nerves. "This is a no-brainer."

Edward was thrilled when I called with my decision but calmed down long enough to ask if I had any doubts.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I mean, I'm about to jump out of my skin with joy, but I also respect your life in Philadelphia, and I would be happy to figure out…"

"Yes, I'm sure. I want to be close to you and get to know Esme and become part of your everyday lives, and I can't do that from Philadelphia. The thought of moving is a little scary, but it's right. And it's what I want."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, Edward. But I love you for being so concerned about my feelings."

The line went so silent I thought the call had ended. "You…you love me?"

"What?"

"You just said you…"

"Oh. So I did." And though my heart hammered in my chest at the news of my accidental confession, I couldn't regret the words or take them back.

In fact, I wanted to say them again.

"I do, Edward. Love you, I mean."

"And I love you, Leah. I always have."

And though that was the first time he said those words, it was nowhere near the last.

He said them when he met me at the airport two months later, lacing our frozen fingers together as he drove me to the apartment I'd leased around the corner from the house he shared with Esme.

He said them when he dropped to one knee at my parents' house after Thanksgiving dinner that same year, his green eyes shining with love as he offered his heart in the form of a question.

He said them as we stood at the altar the following summer as I clutched a bouquet of orange daisies with Kate, Rosalie, and Esme standing by my side with watery smiles.

He said them last night, this morning, a few minutes ago, and every other chance life given us.

And I never tired of hearing them.

"What are you doing in here?" The current Edward strolled into the kitchen. "Did something happen?"

"No. Just lost in happy thought about how this chapter of our lives began."

"You mean me wearing our first dinner all over my clothes?"

"No." I kissed him. "But I will cherish that memory forever."

"And that's what I plan to give you. Forever."

"Guys!" Esme called. "Come on!"

"We'd better get in there before she eats all the candy," I said.

"I wouldn't worry about that." Edward put his hands behind his back. "Now close those eyes."

With a little squeak, I did so, holding out eager hands. When I felt the familiar weight in my palms, I closed my fingers around the bundle and planted another kiss on my husband.

"I love you so much," I murmured between kisses. "Thank you for always making this day so special."

"Thank you for making my life so special," he said. "And for accepting Esme. She is so blessed to have you in her life."

"I feel the same way about her."

"You better not be kissing in there!" Esme cried out.

I groaned against his mouth. "Most of the time."

"Let's go before she disowns us. There will be plenty of time for kissing later on."

"You promise?"

"I swear on my love for polka-dotted tulle."

"Well in that case…" I slipped my hand into his. "Let's go."

And go we did, to a moment very much like the place where everything started: a cozy den on Halloween night with nothing much between us but popcorn, candy, and a love for The Great Pumpkin.

And we wouldn't have had it any other way.

* * *

 **And…SCENE! What do you think?**

 **Finishing this story took much longer than I expected, but I thank you all SO MUCH for taking this journey with me. My Leah finally got her happy ending, and I hope you enjoyed the right as much as she did.**

 **Love and light to you all! XO**


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